


Trespasses

by kashillua (laneelsin)



Series: The Cat and the Hound [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Anbu Yamato | Tenzou, Anthology, Gen, I'll fill this up as I feel like it, No pairings - Freeform, Non-Linear Narrative, what a creative title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 00:48:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13470165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laneelsin/pseuds/kashillua
Summary: Legends of the ANBU Cat and Hound have been around for as long as most can remember, always on the tip of tongues. Actual encounters with the pair, however, are much less common. When faced with the truth, Iruka isn't sure how to react.





	Trespasses

_Yo!  
_ _Iruka-sensei, you wouldn’t happen to have anything overly pressing on your plate this week, would you? No, of course you don’t. You never do, huh? Anyways, gotta go. Dunno when I’ll be back. You know the drill, haven’t changed the locks. Don’t wait up for me._

Hatake Kakashi was the definition of a self-serving, overly-paranoid, egotistical, eccentric, loner asshole jounin if Iruka had ever seen one. The man gave little regard to the amount he actually imposed on others, acting so very innocent while shoving his responsibilities into other hands. Hands that usually belonged to one Umino Iruka.

The first time Kakashi had approached him for a favor, Iruka had been highly skeptical. They’d interacted scarce few times outside of the odd mission and various mandatory meetings with the upper echelons of Konoha’s military personnel. Seeing the slouching figure at the door of his classroom late one afternoon, Iruka had been sure that something had happened to Naruto (their only mutual interest). Instead, Iruka was rather surprised to hear that with Kakashi’s genin scattered to the wind, the jounin was being reassigned, and would be out of the village for quite some time. Iruka was about to ask what he could possibly need _him_ to do before Kakashi explained that he kept a small plant and that said plant would need to be cared for while he was away. Likewise, Kakashi was seeking someone who would consistently be in the village to apartment-sit and gather his mail while he was gone. Seeing as his closest friends were also jounin-sensei, that left the man with very few options—the only one of which he felt safe enough to trust being Iruka.

At first, Iruka was incredibly hesitant, and only agreed because Kakashi had offered him a rather fair sum upfront. However, the last two years turned them from vague acquaintances into fast friends, their friend groups easily merging into one rather large one that kept the rest of the village on their toes. While he had bonded with all of the members of Kakashi’s ragtag social circle, Iruka had quickly grown particularly fond of Tenzou, an unassuming man who affectionately called Kakashi ‘senpai.’ Tenzou immediately had taken a shine to the chuunin-sensei, the two of them bonding over a love of seals and interest in village infrastructure. Iruka was very glad to count the man amongst his closest friends. If only for that, Iruka was, believe it or not, actually incredibly glad Kakashi had decided to approach him. It certainly had made life more interesting.

However, when Iruka is trudging up the five flights of stairs to Kakashi’s apartment on the sixth floor near 11 o’clock at night after a 16 hour work day, he can’t help but resent him just slightly.

Kakashi had left a little over a week ago on a mission, leaving only a note on his desk—complete with his signature henohenomoheji—without so much as a goodbye. Iruka had raged for an hour about it to Genma, completely done with their mutual friend’s reckless disregard for his personal life. Iruka bristled slightly even now, frustrated. Why was it always him?

With a sigh, Iruka quickly ran through the hand seals that functioned as the lock to Kakashi’s thoroughly warded apartment. It might be the safest place in Konoha, given the sheer mastery of the seals placed. Instated by the Yondaime himself, if the copy-nin was to be believed.

Seeing as one of the wards dampens chakra signatures and given Iruka’s complete lack of vigilance due to exhaustion and sense of safety, it’s not entirely unreasonable for him not to notice the figures in the middle of Kakashi’s entryway until he quite literally stumbles upon them.

“What the—”

The door closes silently, and Iruka, perplexed and worried, stares down at the figures he’d literally had to launch himself over to avoid stepping on. His eyes take a few seconds to adjust to the dark before he realizes exactly what he’s looking at, and by the Gods—he almost wishes he hadn’t.

At the foot of Kakashi’s door are the two single most feared men in all of Konoha—ANBU’s Cat and Hound.

Iruka has to give himself a full ten seconds to come down from the intense thrill the sight sends down his spine. Everything seems to stop as he stares at the figures tucked against the wall, sitting completely still and looking in his direction. Iruka isn’t quite sure if he’s ever experienced this level of terror outside of events directly related to the Kyuubi’s onslaught on the village. Slowly, his heart returns to a somewhat manageable rate, and Iruka slowly moves back and away from the pair. The masks don’t follow him—quickly Iruka notes that their breathing is slow and regular, and a quick sweep with his chakra tells him that both figures are severely chakra depleted. The slow, sluggish flow of what little chakra there is seals his suspicions—the two ANBU are asleep.

He breathes out a soft sigh of relief, but the ceasing of panic allows the flow to thought, and quickly, questions are popping into his head. Why the hell are the Cat and Hound in Kakashi’s apartment? Does he know them? Are they friends? Or—worse, is there a hit out on Kakashi’s life, and they were waiting to ambush him? That said, they’re dangerously low on chakra and asleep, so the last option seems the least likely. Besides, Kakashi hasn’t done anything to merit an assassination recently.

Closer inspection reveals that the two are caked in dried blood spatter, sandals covered in dirt. Clearly, the two have recently returned from a mission. Cat shifts, head slipping sideways to rest on Hound’s shoulder, snoring softly with the change in position. The movement is innocent in nature, and the pair would look almost peaceful if it weren’t for the large quantities of blood on their clothes and the way both still seem ready to leap to action at a moment’s notice. And the masks… the masks are terrifying.

Iruka watches them for a moment before deciding that there’s probably not a lot he can do given the situation. He has two options—he can just leave and risk poor Ukki-san not getting the water he needs, or he can go about his typical business and get the job done before leaving. Considering he just climbed up five flights of stairs in an apartment building on the other side of the village from his own… the choice is easy. He’s not going to have come all the way up here for nothing.

Unfortunately, spraying water into Ukki’s soil and making sure there’s no wilting only takes a few scant minutes. Iruka finds himself sitting on Kakashi’s neatly made bed, watching the two figures from across the room. What the hell does he do?

Logically, Iruka knows that he should just leave out the window and hope that all is well. But… this is Kakashi’s apartment. He lives here, he can’t just leave the single most terrifying duo in Konoha sleeping on his floor. What if they came here by mistake? What if Kakashi is in danger? Should he wake them…? No, probably not. They’ll probably kill him if they notice him. He should probably just sneak out.

However, seeing the two of them so vulnerable… Iruka’s sensei instincts are very offended by the idea of just leaving them there like that. They’ll wake up sore and unable to do much if they keep sleeping in that position. Speaking of sensei instincts, the two of them seem much younger than he’d thought. He’s heard stories of the Cat and Hound since he was a little kid. The hoods covering their hair leave any hint of originality a mystery—all he’s got for a lead on their identities is skin tone and body shape. Hound is so fair, and Cat is only a little lighter than Iruka himself. Dark red captain’s tattoos mark the skin below their shoulders, branded on but clearly several years old. Likewise, for someone as toned as he is, Hound is almost… stringy. Both are clearly incredibly muscular, but Hound is built for speed: muscle concentrated in his lower half, limbs wiry and body lean. Cat, on the other hand, is all muscle, arms and legs thick with built strength. Where Cat is more compact, heavier from sheer mass, Hound looks taller, longer, more frail. They’re both imposing figures in their own rights and Iruka isn’t really sure who he’d rather take on, based on appearances alone.

When he was a kid he used to hear legends of their prowess, their skills; both of them have their own pages in the bingo books of every other Hidden Village, S-RANK targets individually and SSS-RANK rank together. From what Iruka remembers, Cat’s specialty lies in concealment, disguise, and forgery, deadly with water jutsu and able to mimic any voice he hears, luring his targets out. Hound, on the other hand, is known for his kenjutsu mastery and breakneck speed that rivals that of his lightning affinity specialties. Few specifics about their abilities are known simply because most who witness them are dead before they can spread intel, and if that isn’t _terrifying_ Iruka doesn’t know what is.

And here they are, _deadliest shinobi in Konoha’s history_ , sleeping like small children in the doorway of one of his best friends’ homes. Iruka stands, pacing slightly, perhaps getting a bit too close to their sleeping figures but he has to make a decision, fast, because—

Cat shifts, body heaving with a small sigh as he seems to try to arrange himself more comfortably in the small entryway. His sleepy grumbles are muffled by the porcelain mask covering his face.

“Senpai, you’re on my arm…”

Hound seems to rouse slightly, rolling off of his comrade and sprawling a bit in an attempt to get more comfortable. “Maa, looks like we didn’t even make it to the bed this time.”

Iruka’s mind is in hyperdrive, as puzzle pieces all seem to click together at once.

Hound and Cat would need to be able to bypass Kakashi’s extensive warding to even get in here—Iruka had to be added to the various seals and jutsu the overly paranoid jounin had active the first time Kakashi had him plant-sit, so he’s more than aware of how much goes into keeping this place a safe haven. Likewise, he recognizes those voices, the familiar way that voice wraps around the word ‘senpai’ like it’s something precious, the lazy canter of speech and the familiar verbal tic— Gods, if anyone finds out he’s figured out the identities of Cat and Hound, he’s dead. Not that any enemies could do much with the information, seeing as how both Kakashi and Tenzou are already in the bingo books just going off their official public records alone, but security is a must and-- Gods, they’re awake and he’s going to die what does he do-- “Iruka-san?”

They noticed him—

“Umino-sensei, when did you get here?”

Fuck, he’s dead— “Uh, hey, ANBU-san, I was—just leaving. My friend asked me to take care of his plants so I was watering them, I’ll be on my way.” Could he be any more clearly panicking? Probably not. “Anyways, I’d like to get by so if you’d excuse me—“ Iruka attempts feebly to seem unflustered and confident, head raised high and body relaxed in preparation for self defense at any moment. Getting tense wouldn’t do—he’s taught children this exact transition from tense to completely fluid and loose for years, preparing them for futures in the field. He can do this, he’s dealt with worse than this before, even if his panic seems enough to close his throat.

A hand wraps around his wrist tightly as he reaches for the door; a steel vice grip, unyielding and undeniably secure.

Deeply ingrained instincts to defend himself surge forward. Very carefully, Iruka stills himself, pushing down the urge to fight back. The last thing he’d want to do was accidentally hurt his friend, or incite retaliation from the most deadly team on the continent (two of his best friends are the most deadly team on the continent). “Hound-san,” Iruka is honestly amazed he manages to sound as calm as he does, considering Hound—Kakashi—has his hand wrapped so tightly around his wrist, “I need to be going.”

“I trust you’ll be incredibly discrete with whatever information you’ve pieced together, sensei.” There is deliberate weight on his title, the words oddly flat and stilted. The voice that filters from behind porcelain and cloth is not one Iruka recognizes any longer. Cold, distant, unemotional.

Iruka slowly, hesitantly, turns his head to look down at the man whose hand acts as a human manacle on his arm.

Where eyes should be set in the blank dog mask are a vast, vacant darkness. Hound fluidly stands in a motion that is so fast that Iruka can hardly process it, towering over him. Heavy, rumbling vibrations press against his ears as a massive wave of killing intent floods against him from all sides. It crashes into him, freezing cold, leaving him breathless and floundering. The world around him feels unsteady, his body suddenly much heavier than it was before, and he is helplessly overwhelmed as he drowns in the sheer force of it. It’s the feeling of a concentrated water jutsu hitting him full force in the chest, of a waterfall pounding his shoulders, of an enemy landing a roundhouse kick square on his back. Iruka is unable to move under the weight of it all, frozen like a mouse in the hungry gaze of a starving predator, defenseless.

A deep, swirling red, shining in the dark, stares back at him from the left eye of the mask and it is all Iruka can do not to let the crushing fear coursing through him show on his face. The chuunin keeps everything in his demeanor tranquil, still, the perfect picture of composure. He only barely manages due to decades of conditioning—and Iruka is nothing if not professional.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to, Hound-san, but if I did somehow gain any intel, you should know by now that I am never one to spread rumors. I would take whatever classified information I might have gained to the grave before I would think of giving it up.”

There is a silence, the two men staring each other down. Hound could kill him without breaking a sweat, and for the first time Iruka truly understands why this team is feared so completely by their own village. He refuses to back down, however. There’s nothing they can do to reverse the situation—what’s done is done. Iruka just wants to go home at this point. While he might not (read: definitely will not) sleep tonight, he’d still rather be anywhere that’s not where he currently is.

The odd, crushing trance is broken when a tan hand wraps around Hound’s, gentle but firm. Cat has finally made himself known, moving in between them and carefully removing Hound’s grasp on him. The air seems to rush back out from around them, expanding as sound resumes normally from a muting he hadn’t even been aware of. Reality returns to normal as he’s allowed to breathe again. Relief fills in all the spaces the pressure had left, and Iruka finds his panic abating almost instantly. He breathes out a subtle sigh, catching his breath for the first time in what seems like an eternity.

Iruka silently glances to Cat, nodding his thanks before turning his back very deliberately to the pair in a sign of trust and escaping out the front door. As soon as the door is closed behind him, Iruka practically collapses against the railing of the walkway, clinging to the metal like his life depends on it. His mind races, trying to coincide his lazy, genius friend with the terrifying creature of malice he’d witnessed first hand inside Kakashi’s apartment. Suddenly the rumors of the friend-killer seem much more real than they had when he’d only known the man as the layabout who had no qualms about reading porn around children. Likewise, Tenzou was always rather easy to overlook—this revelation puts a whole new twist on that particular trait.

Iruka has no clue how he’s going to act normal around them in the coming days, but he has to try. His life depends on it.

**Author's Note:**

> Lol I have no business starting something new when I have something incomplete but oh well
> 
> Hopefully this isn't too terrible rip


End file.
